Heretofore, athletic shoes have been utilized for various activities including sports, for example basketball, baseball, football, and generally in athletic games wherever forward or lateral stresses are placed upon the shoe. Since most athletic shoes are made of light weight materials such as thin leather or synthetic fabrics, they give and stretch and thus provide poor stability for the foot. Various reinforcing materials have been applied to athletic shoes in an effort to improve stability. However, good lateral and forward stability is generally lacking.
Design Pat. No. 188,037, to Dassler, merely relates to a specific aesthetic embodiment of a shoe which has three lateral strips thereon.
Design Pat. No. 257,074, to Gucci, relates to another aesthetic design having lateral strips of the shoe upper.
U.S. Pat. No. Re. 26,340, to Dassler, relates to a running shoe made of very thin and thus stretchable leather. Only a half sole portion 3 exists with the remainder of the bottom portion being soft leather. Plastic strips 2 exist to maintain the bottom rear portion of the shoe in close contact with the bottom of a foot.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,258,629, to Bliss, relates to a shoe having reinforcing strips of leather or canvas which act to preserve the original shape of the upper during use.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,383,122, to Ghez et al, relates to a shoe sole having a reinforcement element therein.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,138,880, to Kunzli, relates to an athletic shoe having side straps 28 thereon as well as rear strap 42.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,224,117, to Dassler, is a patent which was reissued as U.S. Pat. No. Re 26,340 discussed hereinabove.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,583,081, to Hayashi, relates to an athletic shoe containing reinforcement strips 8 which are secured to the sides of the upper for strengthening and ornamenting the same.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,768,182, to Powers, relates to an athletic shoe which has soft sidewalls for comfort and reinforcing overlays for providing stiffness as well as to distribute lacing forces.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,067,124, to Rys-Sikora, relates to a shoe having reduce color migration of the dyed fabric upper. The shoe contains reinforcing strips 20 thereon.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,245,408 and 4,366,631, to Larsen, et al, relate to an athletic shoe having a low-cut heel portion and a side strap attached from the heel portion to the lacing portion to effectively lock the heel portion with the front portion when used.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,255,876, to Johnson, relates to an athletic shoe having a reinforcing strip 20 thereon.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,280,287, to Gulbransen, relates to an athletic shoe having a pocket on the side thereof for containing an article. A plurality of reinforcing strips appear to exist on the side portions of the upper.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,314,413, to Dassler, relates to a sport shoe having an extended sole at the heel end.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,342,161, to Schmohl, relates to a low sport shoe having a bandage connecting the lacing strip with the sole which bandage is less extensible than the material of the upper.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,393,605, to Spreng, relates to a thick soled sport shoe having a toe cap thereon partitioned into several parallel strips.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,571,856, to Lin, et al, relates to a double laced athletic shoe having reinforcing strips thereon.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,592,154, to Oatman, relates to an athletic shoe having a plurality of pliant retaining bands to effect securement of the shoe and especially a shoe cushion therein to the foot of a user.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,598,487, to Misevich, relates to an athletic shoe having a precompression of a constrained midsole portion to enhance the midsole's energy absorbing capacity.
An advertisement by Reebok Shoes relates to a lateral polyurethane support strap which extends from the lower portion of the lacing strip to the sole area of the shoe.
The above patents and document generally relate to reinforcing strips of a stretchable material such as leather, and lack any securement of the reinforcing strips within the sole portion of the shoe such that improved forward stability as well as lateral stability are obtained.